


strong as an oak

by 24601lesbians



Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Texting, gerard's getting through the world, hand over hand look at him go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-18
Updated: 2016-04-18
Packaged: 2018-06-02 23:11:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6586660
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/24601lesbians/pseuds/24601lesbians
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It isn’t the end of the month yet, so he’s waiting to see if he’ll actually stay, but it isn’t looking too great (yet?). He feels like he’s getting nowhere. He knows that he’s making headway, god, he knows, but the progress feels so gradual his head barely notices it. A case of getting worse before getting better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	strong as an oak

_April--_

Mikey do you want me to pick anything up from the in n out for you

not today

Okay

This older than dirt lady is judging me

For no reason of course

And her friend is loudly discussing my “rung of the ladder”

that’s why i don’t go there on thursdays

Theyre squawking and giving me the evil eye like

my phone is going to start yelling obscene things

It would be kind of cool honestly?

Convenient at the very least

remember the time somebody reset your ringtone to go the fuck to sleep

Of course that was you

He lets himself into the house later, chucks the lid of the plastic container the pens came in. Mikey’s on the couch and Gerard flops down next to him. “Thanks for putting up with me.” Mikey’s usual reply follows. “You just need a minute to get on your feet. It doesn’t bother me.”

“I literally had my debit card declined in an in-n-out.” His head tips down as his face heats up. “I don’t care about the whole Margaret and Nancy thing, it’s the fact that I can’t even get coffee after my a pack of pens.”

“You get paid tomorrow and you wanted coffee today--no big deal.”

 

_ May-- _

You missed a call from mikey 12:06 PM

You missed a call from mikey 12:19 PM

gee

pick up please

gee it’s important 

i think you’re going to like this

I was asleep whats happening

dev’s is hiring again

Incoherent noises

I take back a full 10.8% of the shit ive said about you

i know 

Youre totally not a blessing

Even a little bit

yes they’re open 

go shower

you probably smell like you

NOT EVEN OFFENDED

 

He’s waiting out the last ten minutes that the dryer needs to cool down, because he’s so excited that he  _ has a job interview _ that he finally did his laundry. It’s a good day. It’s a legitimately good day and Gerard is so  _ awake_. He hears the door hinges squeal and ditches the dryer to bolt to Mikey for, like, way too many half-hugs with pointy elbows. 

“We’re going to celebrate tonight. I’m inviting Frank and Bob and James over and we’re having a movie night without Junior Mint incidents.”

“Don’t tell me it wasn’t worth it. It looked pretty convincing to  _you_ ,” he mumbles in protest. And then pauses. “Is Bob going to bring Matt again?” 

Mikey rolls his eyes.  _ He’s not out to get you._

“He’s beyond out to get me, are you kidding?” Which, y’know,  _ sigh_, because it’s all behind everyone’s backs. It would be better if it were a rivalry, but all it’s ever been is Matt sniping at him to hit where it hurts. 

Mikey’s left hand twitches.  _ Relax. _ “He said Matt’s in California.” Hah. He can’t take Gerard’s oreo stash, because by the time he shows up, they’ll be gone. Gerard shifts his weight over to one foot.  _ Oh, alright. _

“We won’t be sober ‘til the  _ broke _ of dawn.” 

“That was awful.” But his brother still gives a little huff of a laugh when he leaves the room.

 

_ July-- _

i can’t believe he’s the only one

I know

like you’d think there would be more than me

Hey dont forget Pete

and pete

i’m sorry 

You keep apologizing but this is a good thing

My lil mikes is growing up

shut up

you’re older you’ll probably die first

Im going to graciously ignore that

Seriously I am really happy for you

We can celebrate with the others 

after Frank is out of his training

i’ll be there in a little bit, yeah?

The door is open

At least there’s not a whole lot of stuff to move. The faster Matt’s gone, the better (Gerard would rather have Mikey help him move out even if he had to do 95% of the work himself. It’ll ease the guilt of barely budging for the last three months). He’s not really up in arms about the amount of time Mikey spends with Pete, or even by moving out. 

Maybe he is a little sad, though. Or a lot. It was a good apartment. He got to stay practically for free, he got to do his laundry and have a couch to sleep on, Mikey was always around, always had time for him. When he gets paid this week, he’s going to take both his brother and Pete out for drinks, because they really deserve it. 

“Lesser possessions, light as a feather.” Matt drawls under his breath later, and  _ this time his brother hears him_. Gerard sees him set the box of DVDs on the counter. Mikey at sub-zero isn’t the rarest thing, but it hasn’t yet looked like this. 

“Excuse me?” It’s accompanied by a  _ withering _ stare. 

Matt blinks. “What?”

 “He was fine with it til you said  _ that_. You want to know where I’ve learned Gerard’s pride has been since before I got to first grade? It’s in his decency. This is the guy that spent his 21st birthday wandering around the whole neighborhood—letting them treat him like a high school freshman—because he was offering to mow their lawns. He wanted to pay me back for letting him sleep on my couch, Matt. And he’s my fuckin’ brother. And I can tell right now that you’re only helping at all because you want a favor later. Slink off. Now.” 

Matt lets the two picture frames fall on the couch and stalks out the back door. 

 

_ September-- _

Todays been a really weird day and its been busy  

and everything but I want you to know that Im not

running up on everyones heels just to get ahead   

its stupid and i wont be a hypocrite

its 3:30 gerrsd

Im sorry I just cant shut my head off

Im sick of people judging me all 

the time but im not caving i cant

are you okay

Probably

Mikes i swear im going to pay you back when i 

make it if i ever get anywhere i know i owe you

Its not just an obligation thing

I want to do it somehow

that’s okay with me if it makes yoy

like karmically even or whatever

just donMt stress over it too much

Gerard tosses his phone onto the floor. He and Mikey boxed their stuff at the same time. It isn’t the end of the month yet, so he’s waiting to see if he’ll actually stay, but it isn’t looking too great (yet?). He feels like he’s getting nowhere. He knows that he’s making headway, god, he knows, but the progress feels so gradual his head barely notices it. A case of getting worse before getting better.

It’s not like the amount of time he spends here even comes close to before, either. He’ll stare at the ceiling for a few minutes before he naps between the shift at Dev’s and the shift at the diner, and on the handful of days the laundromat has him scheduled, he’s only home long enough to get sleep for the next day. Waiting on a certain letter, too.

 

_ February-- _

(this is frank) no idea what the fuck he is doing 

but he’s having a grand old time doing it        

Also please ask gee why he uses

the same passcode for everything 

did you give him my junior mints

Not at all he took them without anyone’s permission

iero youre a cruel cruel man

When are you getting here

I need to know how much time I have

to start psyching myself up to bat my

eyelashes at a fucker like you            

we’ll be there after pete finishes wrapping the thingy

Why do you insist on calling it that

it resembles nothing. it is a ridiculous shitjumble

He’s fixing your computer stop texting 

me and appreciate your man               

also frank

set nothing on fire after he’s in the door

Why

i mean it

Bob and James are sitting on the counter, trying not to kick their heels too hard against the unglued cupboard panel while Ray, Gerard’s new roommate, is gesturing expansively in front of them. Frank snorts and bumps Gerard’s shoulder. “He looks like a worse imitation  _ of an imitation _ of Chris Pratt when he does that.” 

Gerard is staring into space. He’s remembered to buy Mikey Girl Scout cookies but will completely forget about ordering them by the time they show up. His phone is ...somewhere? Frank isn’t bouncing, which is slightly concerning, but then again, Gerard isn’t bouncing as much as he was five minutes ago either. He’s starting to kind of zone again (it  _ is _ a little unbelievable). 

Pete bursts in with Mikey close behind and it feels good. It’s good to see this—the trademarked 43-step secret handshake Frank and Pete perform and then proceed to argue the technicalities of, the way Bob reaches behind Ray and almost politely drops two pen caps into his hair without breaking eye contact with Mikey. James tilts his head and begins attempting pattycake as a distraction.

Gerard pulls Mikey over to the side. Hands him his manila envelope. His shoulders already feel lighter. 

“You did not.” The statements that follow that one out of the corner of Mikey’s mouth are all very similar and then Mikey is gaping at him even as the glossy fifty-some bound pages drop neatly into his hand. Gerard is practically floating.

He feels his mouth quirk up. “I did.”

**Author's Note:**

> this was my first fic  
> (confetti emoji)


End file.
